In recent years, smaller versions of farm-type tractors have found increasing popularity for use as rideable power vehicles to mow commercial as well as residential grassed areas. These tractors are generally characterized as low profile tractors since the seat upon which the operator rides may be reached without climbing the tractor frame.
Presently these tractors have between six (6) to twenty (20) horsepower motors although low profile tractors having somewhat greater horsepower ratings are presently being designed. One type of mower attachment for tractors of this type includes a three-bladed mower assembly that is mounted under the tractor frame between the front and the rear wheels. A mechanical or hydraulic mechanism is provided for raising and lowering this mower unit and it is powered by a mechanical drive from the tractor engine. This type of mower attachment has been found very successful because of its durability and ease of sharpening when compared to the older reel-type mowers. Because of the size of the tractor, however, these mowers have a limited cutting width that directly adversely affects the cutting time and cost in commercial grass cutting operations.
Rotary-type mowers have also been used mounted behind the larger farm-type tractors for mowing the rights-of-way found along many of the highways of this country. These mowers generally ride behind the tractor and may be raised or lowered by a suitable actuator. This mower when reduced in size to match the low profile smaller tractors would have the same very limited cutting width of the under the tractor frame mowing attachment described above.
A well known technique for increasing the cutting width of a mower is to "gang" the mowers by staggering individual mowing elements in banks. Reel-type gang mowers have been popular over the years for mowing irregular contours and many are found on golf courses. The individual reel-type mowers in gang mowers are suspended from a common frame in staggered fashion for universally independent movement to achieve the desired contour mowing. Reel-type mowers, when used in gang mowers, are driven by their own independent wheels and do not require a separate source of power for the mower blade. The rotary blade type mower, because of its greater reliability and easier maintenance, has been found preferable in most applications to the reel-type mower, but it has not gained any significance or success in gang mowing devices because of the difficulties in driving the mower blade since no good way has been found to propel the rotary blade by the wheels.
It is a primary objective of the present invention to ameliorate the problems and deficiencies in prior mowing systems and to provide an improved rotary mower attachment for a small low profile lawn and garden tractor.